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#Post#: 14113--------------------------------------------------
Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Sudeep Date: April 7, 2019, 7:49 am
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I got a cold(BTW, how do you use: "I got a cold" or "I caught a
cold"? ) and when I let my mom know about it, she told me to
take some medication. But I don't like to go for medicine at
once especially if it is a cold or fever. I become sad when I
look at my grandpa who lives on medicine, I mean he is quite
addicted to medicines. Whatever happens, he opens up his
medicine box (in which you can find different types of medicines
some of which is difficult to find even in a pharmacy store!)
and he don't even get confused recognizing what to take!
Anyway, when I asked : "Who do you prefer to take care of your
health first?", I meant, is it the drug you look for or you give
some time to your immune system or the defense system;)? I think
these drugs destroy the proper functioning of our immune system
and then we more often rely on those drugs which in return,
weaken our defense system. Okay, so I want to know how you do
it? Do you give yourself a bit more time when you get cold or
fever or you, at once, consult a doctor and start taking
medicines?
And one more thing, could you please tell me about the health
care industry of your countries like do most people have the
health insurance(Is it mandatory?) , the price of medicines(if
they are generic and if not, then, is it affordable?) and other
related info that you think interesting to know.
#Post#: 14116--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Aliph Date: April 7, 2019, 10:21 am
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Sunshine, where I live we use to say „ a cold goes away after a
week WITH or WITHOUT medicine“.
I thought that where you live there is Ayurveda and that before
you take any medicine you try to balance your different energies
(Dosha) changing the way you eat.
But maybe it’s western mythology.
We believe in alternative medicine like Ayurveda and
acupuncture. On this subject, I went once to a Chinese doctor to
ask for acupuncture for some joint pain. He wanted to convince
me to get an expensive (orthopedic) quite invasive operation! I
declined and had a physical treatment instead (massage,
exercise) with a physiotherapist and avoided medicine and
operations.
#Post#: 14121--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Alharacas Date: April 7, 2019, 11:39 am
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Yes, health insurance is mandatory in Germany (but you already
knew that, didn't you?). It'll pay for most treatments and
drugs, including the most basic dentistry and the cheapest,
ugliest glasses. Doctors are supposed to evaluate whether a
generic drug will do for a patient, or whether they need the
more expensive kind. That said, drugs are incredibly expensive
in Germany (precisely because they won't be paid for by the
patients themselves, I suspect). A month's supply of pills will
cost my mother several hundred Euros in Germany, while it's
about a third of that in Spain (or even less) - and they're
mostly they exact same drugs.
Fortunately, I'm quite healthy, because my mother is a great
believer in pills, and if I so much as mention some little
ailment, she'll offer me something which would knock out a
horse. :)
#Post#: 14124--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Nikola Date: April 7, 2019, 12:11 pm
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There is a term "regression to the mean" (or regression toward
the mean) which means that anything extreme is likely to go back
to normal or even out over time. This applies to many health
problems. A regular cold will sort itself out after a while but
if you take a pill at the critical point when things are about
to get better naturally, it will feel as though the pill made it
happen. It's quite dangerous, especially when you add placebo
effect. People end up believing in pills that themselves don't
do anything, or overusing antibiotics where they're not
necessary. Getting a prescription for your medication (if you
don't have a relative with an endless supply of drugs) means
going out and sitting in the waiting room, exposed to more germs
when your body's already weak, or giving your germs to others. I
try to avoid this at any cost, unless I feel really unwell for a
really long time.
And just like in Germany, health insurance is mandatory in the
Czech Republic. I am not sure how expensive medication is here
compared to other countries but a lot of it is covered by the
health insurance. We went through a phase of having to pay for
each prescription but it was more trouble than it was worth so
they changed it. Regression to the mean, I suppose.
#Post#: 14125--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: SHL Date: April 7, 2019, 1:26 pm
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=954.msg14124#msg14124
date=1554657070]
There is a term "regression to the mean" (or regression toward
the mean) which means that anything extreme is likely to go back
to normal or even out over time. This applies to many health
problems. A regular cold will sort itself out after a while but
if you take a pill at the critical point when things are about
to get better naturally, it will feel as though the pill made it
happen. It's quite dangerous, especially when you add placebo
effect. People end up believing in pills that themselves don't
do anything, or overusing antibiotics where they're not
necessary. Getting a prescription for your medication (if you
don't have a relative with an endless supply of drugs) means
going out and sitting in the waiting room, exposed to more germs
when your body's already weak, or giving your germs to others. I
try to avoid this at any cost, unless I feel really unwell for a
really long time.
And just like in Germany, health insurance is mandatory in the
Czech Republic. I am not sure how expensive medication is here
compared to other countries but a lot of it is covered by the
health insurance. We went through a phase of having to pay for
each prescription but it was more trouble than it was worth so
they changed it. Regression to the mean, I suppose.
[/quote]
I`m not really sure what you mean by the phrase „regression to
the mean.“ The body does have an ability to heal itself, which
is what the immune system is all about, and some conditions will
get better or resolve entirely on their own without treatment.
Some will not.
The placebo effect is estimated to run around 30%, which means
if a person had a headache and I gave the person a sugar pill,
and told them it would cure their headache, in around 30% of
cases he or she would report that the pill cured their
headache. This has been known for decades. So, when
pharmaceutical companies test drugs for efficacy they employ
what are called „double blind“ studies on the drug. Say you take
1000 people with an ailment a drug is suppose to treat. Half the
people in the study (500) are given a fake pill and the other
500 are given the real pill. But the pills look identical and
none of the study subjects is told who is getting the real pill
from the fake pill. AND, most importantly, the people
administering the pills aren‘t told which are the fake pills
from the real ones. That’s why it‘s called a „ double blind“
study. The person talking the pill doesn‘t know it‘s real and
the person giving it to them doesn‘t know it‘s real. This is to
control for non-verbal cues that the person giving the placebo
might unknowingly give off. This is the only way to control and
eliminate the placebo effect (the placebo effect works in
homeopathic and herbal medicines because of the placebo effect.
In homeopathic „medicine“ it‘s 100% placebo effect. Less so in
herbal medicines (they can have positive effects but I don‘t
know if they have been studied).
Later when the study ends, they check the health of the persons
who took the pills. If those in the category of having taken the
real pills get a greater positive effect than those having taken
the fake pills, the medication is considered to be effective.
That‘s how medication is tested professionally.
The common cold has no cure and it is true that you will recover
from it, with a healthy immune system in any event. Zinc
lozenges have been subject to double blind studies and, if taken
at the outset of colds, will shorten the duration of the common
cold, not cure it as such. I‘m not sure if they are available in
the EU or if the are over-the-counter, as they are in the US,
but they do help. I don‘t take them myself because I seldom get
colds and don’t like the zinc taste of those lozenges.
#Post#: 14127--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Nikola Date: April 7, 2019, 3:02 pm
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[quote author=SHL link=topic=954.msg14125#msg14125
date=1554661615]
I`m not really sure what you mean by the phrase „regression to
the mean.“[/quote]
It's a term used in statistics. It refers to the phenomenon that
occurs when you measure something repeatedly over a period of
time and the results you get are extreme on the first
measurement but they are much closer to the average on the
second measurement. It's another way of saying that most unusual
things go back to normal after a while (unless, of course, the
unusual becomes the new normal).
Some examples from Wikipedia:
If your favorite sports team won the championship last year,
what does that mean for their chances for winning next season?
To the extent this result is due to skill (the team is in good
condition, with a top coach, etc.), their win signals that it is
more likely they will win again next year. But the greater the
extent this is due to luck (other teams embroiled in a drug
scandal, favorable draw, draft picks turned out to be
productive, etc.), the less likely it is they will win again
next year.[9]
If one medical trial suggests that a particular drug or
treatment is outperforming all other treatments for a condition,
then in a second trial it is more likely that the outperforming
drug or treatment will perform closer to the mean.
If a business organisation has a highly profitable quarter,
despite the underlying reasons for its performance being
unchanged, it is likely to do less well the next quarter.
The effect of regression to the mean on decision making in
healthcare has been explored and described and it needs to be
taken into consideration when testing new drugs, just like the
method known as double-blind experiment, which you mention.
#Post#: 14131--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Sudeep Date: April 8, 2019, 12:47 am
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It was really interesting and informative reading all your
comments. Thanks a lot! :)
So, I think in most of the European countries, the health
insurance is mandatory and if someone doesn't have one, it would
be difficult to afford the medication, right? Or is there any
scheme from the government to cover the insurance of those
people whose monthly earning is below the average monthly
earning of the country?
Talking about India, well as you know we are 1.3 B people over
here ;D So, it's not possible to ask people to go for a health
insurance policy. But India is known for its generic drug
industry. And that's the reason, one can afford medication quite
easily. Government has some scheme through which one can get
medicines even cheaper at some Government Hospital outlets than
the pharma store.
#Post#: 14136--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Alharacas Date: April 8, 2019, 3:01 am
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Sunshine, in Germany, "mandatory" means there is no way of
getting out of this. Suppose you're a beggar living under a
bridge, once you've been brought to a hospital, some social
worker will take care of the paperwork, with the result that
since you haven't got any money, you're entitled to state
benefits and to the health insurance which automatically comes
with them. :)
#Post#: 14139--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Sudeep Date: April 8, 2019, 4:58 am
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[quote author=Alharacas link=topic=954.msg14136#msg14136
date=1554710464]
Sunshine, in Germany, "mandatory" means there is no way of
getting out of this. Suppose you're a beggar living under a
bridge, once you've been brought to a hospital, some social
worker will take care of the paperwork, with the result that
since you haven't got any money, you're entitled to state
benefits and to the health insurance which automatically comes
with them. :)
[/quote]
Aha, thanks so much Susanne, that's what I wanted to know. So,
it's those NGOs who often facilitate the needs of those who
can't afford. That's great :)
#Post#: 14145--------------------------------------------------
Re: Who do you prefer to take care of your health first?
By: Nikola Date: April 8, 2019, 6:03 am
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That's right, Sunshine, you have to be insured because it's
illegal not to be insured (registered is probably a better word)
but it doesn't mean everyone has to pay. Not many people
actually pay out of their own pocket. People at retirement age,
children, students and people registered unemployed have it paid
for them (by the government, though, out of people's taxes, NGOs
have nothing to do with it), people employed full time have it
paid by their employer so only some people have to pay every
month, like myself.
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